Scuba diving. Zip-lining. Teammates from the United Kingdom, Morocco and Augusta, Ga.

Each is a favored moment among seven students who spent a week in April attending the Advanced Space Academy in Huntsville, Ala.

Located at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Stuttgart High School science teacher Kathy Prislovsky hoped the University of Alabama-Huntsville accredited program would foster skills necessary for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

It was a chance to show students what the STEM field could offer, although the seniors are already planning careers in fields like chemistry, zoology, biology, mathematics and physical therapy.

Prislovsky said the best part was that it also provided cultural experience and proved the students could work as a team. “I liked the team aspect,” she added.

White said the week gave them all an opportunity to learn about each other's cultures and discuss differences and similarities. “It was really cool getting to learn about their culture and how they do stuff,” she added.

It was the best part of the trip for Jangjiravat and Borchert, who said she enjoyed hearing the various accents and comparing their differences ― both in what the two groups ate and in what was deemed acceptable such as cursing openly and in class.

The students lived on campus in a “mock space shuttle” and received hands-on training throughout the day to learn about the mental, emotional and physical demands faced by astronauts, engineers and technologists.

SHS teacher Jay Bly said one of the biggest things he enjoyed was when they first arrived, the instructors “start going through all the procedures and the way NASA does things and you can kind of see the looks on everyone's faces saying 'gosh, it's a little much don't you think.'”

However, Bly said students slowly start to understand as the week continues. “When leaving, you get the sense that everyone understands the reason for the procedures,” he added.

Students, attired in “blue jumpsuits with little patches,” started their 15-hour days at 7:30 a.m. “Space camp was really fun,” Sites said. “I really enjoyed it. Not only did we get to do a lot of cool interactive events, we also got to sit and listen to people talk about the space program, about NASA.

“I learned a lot of things about NASA that I really didn't know before like how it all works and how they train their astronauts. We got to watch videos and then actually go train,” she said.

Page 2 of 3 - Prislovsky said, at times, the team was divided into four groups that competed in engineering challenges — “at one point they were to design a rocket that had to be launched; carrying raw eggs that, if broken, lost them points.”

Another competition had the teams designing space suits to protect apples including flame retardent material. Awards were then given.

Other camp elements pushed the students to be open to new things. For Sites, it was the zip line which scared her at first, but ended up being one of the “most fun parts.”

“It was a really good experience,” Baden said. “We got to do a zip line and something called a Pamper Pole, which is a pole kind of like a telephone pole that you climb about 35 feet up then you jump off and your team is pretty much just catching you. That was probably my favorite experience.”

White admitted to not wanting to do the Pamper Pole. “I only did it because I knew Jake would make fun of me if I didn't,” she said.

Another first was scuba diving. Cooper said they were placed in a 20-foot tank that had windows all the way around. Prislovsky added that “they were amazed because you got to go down to the bottom of the pool and pick up a 100-pound ball.”

“Probably one of my favorite parts of space camp was scuba diving,” Simpson said. “It was really cool because I have never had that experience before. Also the simulations because we got to do a lot of simulations like flying the space shuttle. Jake and Dylan were our pilots so it was kind of nerve wracking.”

On the last day, they participated in their own three-hour shuttle mission with each assigned a different task. “My favorite part was definitely me and Jake in the cockpit and giving orders — actually flying it and trying to land it back down on Earth,” Cooper said. “It got a little frustrating for a little bit. We had a couple of moments, but it was actually really cool.”

Although, he admitted learning that NASA needs to alphabetize their buttons and switches. Laughing, White said, “we had videos of all our missions so we can hear Jake and Dylan when they were landing the plane and flying the plane and all the troubles they were having.”

Overall, Bly said the students “definitely represented our high school and community well.

“Every trainer, instructor that these young ladies and these two young gentlemen were in a class with or a scuba tank with, every one of them made a point to come to Mrs. Kathy Prislovsky or me and tell us what a special group of kids we had,” Bly said. “Every one of them who had an opportunity to work with (the students). So we can be very, very proud.”

Page 3 of 3 - It's the second time that Prislovsky's students have participated. Her first class went in April 2007 with many of the students later heading into STEM careers. This year, the $880 per student trip was paid for through business and private donations.

“A lot of people gave and we really appreciate it,” Bly said. “It's something that I really believe in and I hope we get to do it again.”

Prislovsky said she hopes it will become an annual trip for her senior physics and AP calculus classes.